The Story
Chaos is a friend of mine. ~Bob Dylan
OOC Date: March 23, 2010
IC Date: Day 14, Month 4, Turn 22, Interval 10
Who: Silarra, Taikrin, G'brion, X'en, Liniath, Szadath, Pterath, Balyeroth
Where: HRW Weyrling Barracks
The day after the hatching, the dragons decide to act out a story Gabe was telling Pterath, only to get into a huge argument over who gets to be Yyth. Chaos ensues.
Late afternoon finds Taikrin atop Szadath's couch at the tail-end of an oiling for the dozing brown-- literally. She's got his whole back end in her lap, heedless of the oil smears it's leaving on her work pants, and is just finishing up the last spot on his tail. Just in time, too: Szadath is twitching, the rise and fall of his chest speeding up from the patterns indicative of a deeper sleep.
In the next couch over, Pterath is sprawled out flat with her head resting on G'brion's legs and her tail dangling off the end of the couch, listening to him tell a story. "...and then Yyth ROARED at the mean boys, and ran at them like she was going to eat them all up! She wasn't really, because she's too nice of a dragon to eat people, but they didn't know that, and they ran away like scared little tunnelsnakes," he says, relishing the climax of his tale.
Liniath stretches out from her sleep, giving a big yawn before she looks around. Her words are for Silarra, but they're shared pretty wide. << Silarra! Silarra! I'm awake! >> There's a bright mental giggle vibrating off of it. Silarra whacks her head on the lid of her trunk, as she works at rearranging her things. "Yeah. Awake would be one word for it." She mutters, rubbing at the top of her head.
With a jaw-cracking yawn that shows off that missing front tooth, Szadath comes blearily to full awareness. A careful stretch, and then he flops himself off Taikrin and around, headbutting her in the chest playfully. "Oi, Szadath!" But Taikrin's laughing, and she briefly grabs ahold of the head and hugs it against her. << Play with me! >> He twitches away, then, craning his head up in the opposite direction, towards his two green sisters. << It's awake time, let's go! >>
G'brion looks around, and smirks at Taikrin and Szadath. "He got you, huh?" he says. Pterath makes a yowly noise of protest at the interruption of the story. << Finish! I want to know what happens next. >> To Szadath, she says, << Not yet. I am hearing a story. >> She gives the other nearby dragons the gist of it in a speedy-quick blur of images: mean boys taunting her G'brion, and Yyth and her blond-man-rider arriving, then the full grown green dragon chasing them down until they scream like girls and run away.
Szadath seems to have inherited Taikrin's concepts of personal space and property, because he wriggles quickly down off is own couch and up onto G'brion's with nary a by-your-please. << Hurry up so we can /play/! I'll be Yyth and you two be the boys and I'll chase you! >> Taikrin follows after the brown at a more sedate pace, weariness obvious in her gait though it's a happy sort of tired. "Let let 'im finish, eh Szad? Then we'll do it?" She leans against the side of G'brion's couch, though her gaze is on Silarra. "Don't think I'm ever gonna be clean of oil again, me. Feel like I got it /everywhere/."
Balyeroth stirs in his own couch, perking up at Pterath's tale. <> He sends, with a croon. X'en looks up from straightening his things in his press. "Huh? Story, who's telling stories?" He asks, and looks around. Balyeroth gets up, and heads toward the greens couch as well. << Tell me more. >> He says X'en shakes his head, and follows after the blue. "What's up with him, and stories?"
G'brion looks a little bit sheepish as he realizes he now has a larger audience than one. "Well, uh - that was about it. P'ax and Yyth took me back home, here, to the weyr," he says. And as he speaks, Pterath plucks the intense relief and pleasure of HOME-ness right out of his head to share with the other dragons who are listening to the story. "But I found out later on that Master Kinston asked them where they were running so fast." Once again, Pterath helpfully supplies an image, this time of a mean, crochety old man who likes to punish healer apprentices for no apparent reason. "They told him a dragon had chased them and threatened to bite them, and he punished them all for making up tales about dragonriders - but especially Zekaro, because when he asked whose idea it was to tell lies, they all finked on him." G'brion smirks triumphantly, and Pterath trills happily at the ending of the story.
Silarra nods over to Taikrin. "I know the feeling. Probably even behind my ears." She states as she heads over to get some meat. It's offered up to Liniath as the dragon listens. << Yay! That is a great story. I like when they get it at the end! Ooh. This is yummy. Yummy, yummy, yummy meat! >> There's another bright giggle sent along with that.
Szadath crouches down, sticking his rear up in the air much in the way a hunting feline would stalk its prey. << That was good I guess, but now let's /do/ something. Pterath, I'm going to get you! >> He lets out what he must think is a roar, though it's more of an awkward squawk than anything else, and wiggles his tail. "I know, I got it even down my-- Szadath!" There's a hint of alarm there as Taikrin whirls, darting down to interpose an arm between the brown and green. "Y'gotta wait 'til she says she wants t'play!" The tail lowers a bit, some of his enthusiasm flagging. << But Pterath wants to play! And Balyeroth too, right? I can chase you guys like the boys, right? >>
Balyeroth croons. << If the fine story is over, I'll play, I could be the brave greenrider! >> He declares. << You could be the green, and the others can be the bad boys. >> He says, looking anxious to get this started. Yes! He shall be the one to save the imaginary damsel in distress! X'en looks to Taikrin. "Hopefully it does all wash off." He says, and then eyes the brown. "He sure likes to play, doesn't he?"
All of a sudden, Pterath's lassitude is gone - that's just for story-listening, apparently. She leaps to her feet quickly enough to cause G'brion to yip as she steps on his thigh, and launches herself at Szadath, fortunately in a feint and not a real attempt to bite him. << We should play! But I get to be Yyth >> she insists. << I'm green, and you're brown. And you're a boy. >> Her logic is pretty airtight. << Liniath can be... >> and there she hits a snag: there's no one /eating/ in the story. Pterath cocks her head to the side, ruminating on that problem for a moment. Balyeroth gets a thoughtful sniff at his suggestion, but she's still not sure.
Liniath slurps up one last piece of meat. << I will be the man who yells at people. If we can make it a woman who yells at people instead? >> Liniath suggests before she turns to look over to Silarra. << I have blood on me! I need clean! >> She whines demandingly. Silarra heads off for a rag with a sigh. "Enthusiastic little things, aren't they?" She comments with a very dry tone as she dips a rag into a basin of water.
Taikrin is swift enough to withdraw her arm -- and entire body -- at Pterath's mock lunge; she retreats back around to the side of the couch and out of the way of the gathering rambunctious dragons. "Yeah, he does. Practice, he says. For huntin' an' flyin'." Szadath is eyed warily: the brown is crouched down again, enthusiasm renewed at Pterath's change in attitude. << Balyeroth can be the rider and Liniath is that yelling guy, >> is the quick agreement. << But I'm biggest, I get to be Yyth! >> He hasn't quite finished his exclamation before he lets out a bugle and leaps at the other green, forearms outstretched to grapple with her.
The leap catches Pterath by surprise, and she responds first by letting out an unholy shriek, and then snapping at Szadath, ready to bite him hard even as she's struggling to get loose. << NO! >> she blares. << We are NOT ready to start yet! And I am Yyth! >> G'brion leaps to his feet, but too late, looking horrified at how quickly things have devolved. "Pterath! Stop it!" he snaps at her, then steps forward, reaching down to bodily drag her away - if she can free herself from Szadath.
Balyeroth trumpets. << I'm the rider! >> He looks around. << Who am I protecting? G'brion? >> He asks, and looks to said rider a moment. He steps back though as Pterath, and Szadath lunge at each other. X'en nods. "Practice, right." He says, and blinks as he turns to eye the two hatchlings. "Whoa, whoa! Think they're a bit young fer that."
Liniath lets out a little happy croon as Silarra takes that rag to the bit of dripping blood around her mouth. But then she eyes the other. << Hey! I didn't know it was a real fight! >> Silarra pauses, not looking like she's ready to get in the middle of that, yet. "Shells. Maybe the damn giggling isn't so bad."
Szadath grapples with Pterath for a moment, oblivious to the fact that the green isn't precisely playing, even after a lucky shift of his bulk turns what could have been a very nasty bite into a glancing blow. He bounces back, then, eyes whirling an enthusiastic blue. << Too late we started now you have to run away because I'm going to eat you! >> Taikrin groans, stepping up a hair slower than G'brion to rest a restraining arm on Szadath's bulky shoulder. "Maybe give 'er a minute, huh?" A faintly desperate glance is shot over towards X'en. "Aren't y'all hungry? Liniath got t'eat already, an' didn't that smell real good? Maybe we should have a snack, huh?" Szadath wilts again, his tones approaching a pout. << Eating meat someone else killed is for wusses. >> But there's a hint of hunger there, thankfully, that's beginning to distract him.
Pterath hisses, and she would bite again, but G'brion's firm hands on her shoulders and his grim-faced mental command forestall her, just barely. << RrrrrrrrrRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAWRRRRR!! >> That mental roar, directed in a full on blast at Szadath, is intended as proof positive that no one could possibly be a better Yyth than Pterath could. "Shards, Pterath," G'brion complains. "Are you being loud enough? Now quit it, and don't let me ever catch you biting another dragon unless you have a really, really good reason." Which, not being allowed to be Yyth apparently is not.
X'en actually moves to pull his blue back, by putting a hand on his chest. "Yes, come on guys, ya not even eaten yet, lets get ya fed." He says. Balyeroth croons. << Food is delicious! I'll eat, and then I can be an even better rider! >> He says, flipping his wings a moment, like someone would flip a cape.
Liniath perks up. Maybe it's time for her part? << Ooh! Why are you fighting! I might have to give you a punishment! >> And she sounds /so/ cheerful about that. She even gives her wings a little flap out to try to look as mock intimidating as a three foot dragon can.
<< You're not very good at this game, >> Szadath remarks, disappointment coloring his mindvoice and slowing the whirl of his eyes. << You're supposed to run away, Pterath, so I can chase you. Not make weird noises. >> He turns away, then, Taikrin's hand firmly on his shoulder, and plops down off the couch next to Balyeroth. << Food's great. But I know it'd be better hot. >> An apologetic glance is shot towards G'brion, followed by a helpless shrug. "C'mon, y'gotta eat this stuff so's you can get big enough t'hunt yer own, an' so y'got energy t'play with. See, Liniath ate hers, an' now she wants t'play." Szadath remains rather disgruntled, though, and only snorts in response before breaking out into an incredibly awkward gallop towards the stacked food bowls. << I'm /so/ going to hunt that meat! >> Oi.
<< I am hungry >> Pterath says, abruptly losing interest in the game. She starts to barrel toward where the food is, then stops, turns around, and gets behind G'brion so she can use her head to push his legs all the way to the food. He rolls his eyes but puts up with it - for now. As he flops down, he says to Silarra, jokingly, "I'll trade you?"
<< I'm all clean now. And I played my part! Now will you oil me? >> Liniath nudges at Silarra again, sharing her request. She doesn't even wait for a response, just gets up and heads straight over towards where she knows the oil is kept, looking back over her shoulder to see if Silarra is following. Gabe gets a smirk and a shake of her head. "You sure you /really/ want to? I mean, the giggling." She shudders at taht, even as she gives in and moves for the oil.
<< I don't know, this food is the best food I've had in my whole life! >> Balyeroth says, and starts an awkward trot toward where the food is. X'en rolls his eyes. "I keep tellin' ya Balyeroth, this is the only food ya had so far!" He says, and follows after the food. << I know, and it's the best. >> The blue replies. X'en sighs. "I think I could feed him rotten meat, and he'd think it was the best he ever had." He remarks toward the other weyrlings, and gets a bowl full of meat, starting to feed the blue.
Taikrin's pace picks up to a trot as Szadath takes off, and then a full sprint, but she's too slow to stop the sudden *thud* as Szadath shoulder-checks into the nearest barrel of cut meat. It leeeeeeeans over then, with a thud, topples onto its side and spills gobs of meat across the floor. "Szadath, no! Bloody shells." The brown twists his head around with an innocent, 'who, me?' look, then proceeds to stuff his face half into the barrel and chow down. "How 'bout that tradin', eh Gabe?" The weariness in Taikrin's mein as she draws to a halt besides the overturned barrel is enough, finally, to elicit a reaction from Szadath. He squeaks, eyes suddenly whirling red-and-white, and nearly climbs on top of Taikrin in his anxiety. << Trade? >>
G'brion starts shoveling food into Pterath's mouth, grinning with amusement at how voraciously she inhales it. "We could - hmmm. Switch off amongst each other every day or two?" he suggests to Taikrin and Silarra. Pterath pauses in her feeding to eye Szadath with a haughty air - she'd roll her eyes, if dragons did that. << It is a joke. That means it is not real. >> The humor part is kind of lost on her, but maybe she'll get there.
Silarra grabs for the oil, starting to slather it on a suddenly blissful green. << Oil is the best thing ever. Even better than yummy meat. >> She informs Balyeroth before she adds. << Silarra would /never/ trade me. I am her bestest friend in the whole world! >> Silarra smirks over to the others. "Until we all went stark raving mad from never being able to get used to what voice or high pitched giggle was torturing our skull at the time?" She is joking though. Liniath seems to ignore that so long as the oiling keeps coming.
X'en smirks. "Ya can borrow Balyeroth some time, Gabe, ya tell stories, and he keeps askin' me fer stories, and I aint got any!" He says, and feeds the blue another slice of meet. Balyeroth happily chews on the meat, and looks toward Liniath. << Oil is wonderful as well! It makes me feel so good all over! >> He sends. << X'en would never trade me either. I wish he would tell me stories though. >>
"No, no, I ain't-- I ain't gonna trade, it was a joke!" Szadath's anxiety must be bleeding into Taikrin, because she's nearly trembling as she kneels beside the brown and wraps her arms around him, heedless of the rather bloody mess most of his head is. "Yer perfect." Szadath does tremble as he climbs onto Taikrin's lap, pushing his red-stained muzzle against the side of her neck. << It's not real and you don't want to trade me for Pterath or Liniath because they play soft like girls? >> Despite the series of deep breaths, Taikrin seems to have trouble reining in the anxiety that's pinging between the two almost like something physical: her voice is nearly breathless, and her grip on the brown tight. "Nobody wants to trade anybody, right Gabe? Xeo?"
"Naw, nobody really wants to trade," Gabe says, tilting his head with sympathy when he sees how anxious Szadath is. "You can tell him I'd kick your ass if you tried to take Pterath. Though," he adds with a smirk, "I wouldn't blame him if he didn't buy that one." Pterath is gobbling her meat too intently to pay much attention to the rest, except that she says << My G'brion is very good at telling stories. I will make him tell another story, after I finish eating >> she offers - so generous. Her rider, blissfully unaware that he's been thus volunteered, is idly scratching his arm as he waits for Pterath to be ready for another mouthful. After he's gotten her fed, he gets to his feet. "I gotta run out for a few," he tells the others. "I'll be back, okay? Five minutes, Pterath. Seriously. I promise." They're still working on the let-G'brion-go-to-the-bathroom-in-peace thing.
"And I wouldn't really trade Liniath for any other dragon." Silarra almost grudgingly admits. "She's my best friend." Though out of her mouth there's not bestest. Not yet at least. The oiling is finished, with a quick pout from Liniath. << Ooh! More story time! I will go wait at my couch to listen. >> And as soon as she's there, the little green is starting to doze off. "You know. I think that's a good sign I can run for a quick bite." Silarra decides, moving out the door before Liniath can stir.
X'en nods. "Aye, nobodys gonna trade any of ya, we're just joking." He says firmly. "Aye, same here, I like this little guy." He remarks, and keeps feeding the blue till the meats gone. <> Balyeroth says to Pterath. << After yours returns, of course. >> He adds, and happy flicks his tongue out to lick at his lips, yes, that was very good. "Ayer, I might try ta sneak away, when this little guy falls back ta sleep." X'en says, and watches the blue wander back to his couch, and climb in. << I will wait in my couch as well! >>
OOC Date: March 23, 2010
IC Date: Day 14, Month 4, Turn 22, Interval 10
Who: Silarra, Taikrin, G'brion, X'en, Liniath, Szadath, Pterath, Balyeroth
Where: HRW Weyrling Barracks
The day after the hatching, the dragons decide to act out a story Gabe was telling Pterath, only to get into a huge argument over who gets to be Yyth. Chaos ensues.
Late afternoon finds Taikrin atop Szadath's couch at the tail-end of an oiling for the dozing brown-- literally. She's got his whole back end in her lap, heedless of the oil smears it's leaving on her work pants, and is just finishing up the last spot on his tail. Just in time, too: Szadath is twitching, the rise and fall of his chest speeding up from the patterns indicative of a deeper sleep.
In the next couch over, Pterath is sprawled out flat with her head resting on G'brion's legs and her tail dangling off the end of the couch, listening to him tell a story. "...and then Yyth ROARED at the mean boys, and ran at them like she was going to eat them all up! She wasn't really, because she's too nice of a dragon to eat people, but they didn't know that, and they ran away like scared little tunnelsnakes," he says, relishing the climax of his tale.
Liniath stretches out from her sleep, giving a big yawn before she looks around. Her words are for Silarra, but they're shared pretty wide. << Silarra! Silarra! I'm awake! >> There's a bright mental giggle vibrating off of it. Silarra whacks her head on the lid of her trunk, as she works at rearranging her things. "Yeah. Awake would be one word for it." She mutters, rubbing at the top of her head.
With a jaw-cracking yawn that shows off that missing front tooth, Szadath comes blearily to full awareness. A careful stretch, and then he flops himself off Taikrin and around, headbutting her in the chest playfully. "Oi, Szadath!" But Taikrin's laughing, and she briefly grabs ahold of the head and hugs it against her. << Play with me! >> He twitches away, then, craning his head up in the opposite direction, towards his two green sisters. << It's awake time, let's go! >>
G'brion looks around, and smirks at Taikrin and Szadath. "He got you, huh?" he says. Pterath makes a yowly noise of protest at the interruption of the story. << Finish! I want to know what happens next. >> To Szadath, she says, << Not yet. I am hearing a story. >> She gives the other nearby dragons the gist of it in a speedy-quick blur of images: mean boys taunting her G'brion, and Yyth and her blond-man-rider arriving, then the full grown green dragon chasing them down until they scream like girls and run away.
Szadath seems to have inherited Taikrin's concepts of personal space and property, because he wriggles quickly down off is own couch and up onto G'brion's with nary a by-your-please. << Hurry up so we can /play/! I'll be Yyth and you two be the boys and I'll chase you! >> Taikrin follows after the brown at a more sedate pace, weariness obvious in her gait though it's a happy sort of tired. "Let let 'im finish, eh Szad? Then we'll do it?" She leans against the side of G'brion's couch, though her gaze is on Silarra. "Don't think I'm ever gonna be clean of oil again, me. Feel like I got it /everywhere/."
Balyeroth stirs in his own couch, perking up at Pterath's tale. <> He sends, with a croon. X'en looks up from straightening his things in his press. "Huh? Story, who's telling stories?" He asks, and looks around. Balyeroth gets up, and heads toward the greens couch as well. << Tell me more. >> He says X'en shakes his head, and follows after the blue. "What's up with him, and stories?"
G'brion looks a little bit sheepish as he realizes he now has a larger audience than one. "Well, uh - that was about it. P'ax and Yyth took me back home, here, to the weyr," he says. And as he speaks, Pterath plucks the intense relief and pleasure of HOME-ness right out of his head to share with the other dragons who are listening to the story. "But I found out later on that Master Kinston asked them where they were running so fast." Once again, Pterath helpfully supplies an image, this time of a mean, crochety old man who likes to punish healer apprentices for no apparent reason. "They told him a dragon had chased them and threatened to bite them, and he punished them all for making up tales about dragonriders - but especially Zekaro, because when he asked whose idea it was to tell lies, they all finked on him." G'brion smirks triumphantly, and Pterath trills happily at the ending of the story.
Silarra nods over to Taikrin. "I know the feeling. Probably even behind my ears." She states as she heads over to get some meat. It's offered up to Liniath as the dragon listens. << Yay! That is a great story. I like when they get it at the end! Ooh. This is yummy. Yummy, yummy, yummy meat! >> There's another bright giggle sent along with that.
Szadath crouches down, sticking his rear up in the air much in the way a hunting feline would stalk its prey. << That was good I guess, but now let's /do/ something. Pterath, I'm going to get you! >> He lets out what he must think is a roar, though it's more of an awkward squawk than anything else, and wiggles his tail. "I know, I got it even down my-- Szadath!" There's a hint of alarm there as Taikrin whirls, darting down to interpose an arm between the brown and green. "Y'gotta wait 'til she says she wants t'play!" The tail lowers a bit, some of his enthusiasm flagging. << But Pterath wants to play! And Balyeroth too, right? I can chase you guys like the boys, right? >>
Balyeroth croons. << If the fine story is over, I'll play, I could be the brave greenrider! >> He declares. << You could be the green, and the others can be the bad boys. >> He says, looking anxious to get this started. Yes! He shall be the one to save the imaginary damsel in distress! X'en looks to Taikrin. "Hopefully it does all wash off." He says, and then eyes the brown. "He sure likes to play, doesn't he?"
All of a sudden, Pterath's lassitude is gone - that's just for story-listening, apparently. She leaps to her feet quickly enough to cause G'brion to yip as she steps on his thigh, and launches herself at Szadath, fortunately in a feint and not a real attempt to bite him. << We should play! But I get to be Yyth >> she insists. << I'm green, and you're brown. And you're a boy. >> Her logic is pretty airtight. << Liniath can be... >> and there she hits a snag: there's no one /eating/ in the story. Pterath cocks her head to the side, ruminating on that problem for a moment. Balyeroth gets a thoughtful sniff at his suggestion, but she's still not sure.
Liniath slurps up one last piece of meat. << I will be the man who yells at people. If we can make it a woman who yells at people instead? >> Liniath suggests before she turns to look over to Silarra. << I have blood on me! I need clean! >> She whines demandingly. Silarra heads off for a rag with a sigh. "Enthusiastic little things, aren't they?" She comments with a very dry tone as she dips a rag into a basin of water.
Taikrin is swift enough to withdraw her arm -- and entire body -- at Pterath's mock lunge; she retreats back around to the side of the couch and out of the way of the gathering rambunctious dragons. "Yeah, he does. Practice, he says. For huntin' an' flyin'." Szadath is eyed warily: the brown is crouched down again, enthusiasm renewed at Pterath's change in attitude. << Balyeroth can be the rider and Liniath is that yelling guy, >> is the quick agreement. << But I'm biggest, I get to be Yyth! >> He hasn't quite finished his exclamation before he lets out a bugle and leaps at the other green, forearms outstretched to grapple with her.
The leap catches Pterath by surprise, and she responds first by letting out an unholy shriek, and then snapping at Szadath, ready to bite him hard even as she's struggling to get loose. << NO! >> she blares. << We are NOT ready to start yet! And I am Yyth! >> G'brion leaps to his feet, but too late, looking horrified at how quickly things have devolved. "Pterath! Stop it!" he snaps at her, then steps forward, reaching down to bodily drag her away - if she can free herself from Szadath.
Balyeroth trumpets. << I'm the rider! >> He looks around. << Who am I protecting? G'brion? >> He asks, and looks to said rider a moment. He steps back though as Pterath, and Szadath lunge at each other. X'en nods. "Practice, right." He says, and blinks as he turns to eye the two hatchlings. "Whoa, whoa! Think they're a bit young fer that."
Liniath lets out a little happy croon as Silarra takes that rag to the bit of dripping blood around her mouth. But then she eyes the other. << Hey! I didn't know it was a real fight! >> Silarra pauses, not looking like she's ready to get in the middle of that, yet. "Shells. Maybe the damn giggling isn't so bad."
Szadath grapples with Pterath for a moment, oblivious to the fact that the green isn't precisely playing, even after a lucky shift of his bulk turns what could have been a very nasty bite into a glancing blow. He bounces back, then, eyes whirling an enthusiastic blue. << Too late we started now you have to run away because I'm going to eat you! >> Taikrin groans, stepping up a hair slower than G'brion to rest a restraining arm on Szadath's bulky shoulder. "Maybe give 'er a minute, huh?" A faintly desperate glance is shot over towards X'en. "Aren't y'all hungry? Liniath got t'eat already, an' didn't that smell real good? Maybe we should have a snack, huh?" Szadath wilts again, his tones approaching a pout. << Eating meat someone else killed is for wusses. >> But there's a hint of hunger there, thankfully, that's beginning to distract him.
Pterath hisses, and she would bite again, but G'brion's firm hands on her shoulders and his grim-faced mental command forestall her, just barely. << RrrrrrrrrRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAWRRRRR!! >> That mental roar, directed in a full on blast at Szadath, is intended as proof positive that no one could possibly be a better Yyth than Pterath could. "Shards, Pterath," G'brion complains. "Are you being loud enough? Now quit it, and don't let me ever catch you biting another dragon unless you have a really, really good reason." Which, not being allowed to be Yyth apparently is not.
X'en actually moves to pull his blue back, by putting a hand on his chest. "Yes, come on guys, ya not even eaten yet, lets get ya fed." He says. Balyeroth croons. << Food is delicious! I'll eat, and then I can be an even better rider! >> He says, flipping his wings a moment, like someone would flip a cape.
Liniath perks up. Maybe it's time for her part? << Ooh! Why are you fighting! I might have to give you a punishment! >> And she sounds /so/ cheerful about that. She even gives her wings a little flap out to try to look as mock intimidating as a three foot dragon can.
<< You're not very good at this game, >> Szadath remarks, disappointment coloring his mindvoice and slowing the whirl of his eyes. << You're supposed to run away, Pterath, so I can chase you. Not make weird noises. >> He turns away, then, Taikrin's hand firmly on his shoulder, and plops down off the couch next to Balyeroth. << Food's great. But I know it'd be better hot. >> An apologetic glance is shot towards G'brion, followed by a helpless shrug. "C'mon, y'gotta eat this stuff so's you can get big enough t'hunt yer own, an' so y'got energy t'play with. See, Liniath ate hers, an' now she wants t'play." Szadath remains rather disgruntled, though, and only snorts in response before breaking out into an incredibly awkward gallop towards the stacked food bowls. << I'm /so/ going to hunt that meat! >> Oi.
<< I am hungry >> Pterath says, abruptly losing interest in the game. She starts to barrel toward where the food is, then stops, turns around, and gets behind G'brion so she can use her head to push his legs all the way to the food. He rolls his eyes but puts up with it - for now. As he flops down, he says to Silarra, jokingly, "I'll trade you?"
<< I'm all clean now. And I played my part! Now will you oil me? >> Liniath nudges at Silarra again, sharing her request. She doesn't even wait for a response, just gets up and heads straight over towards where she knows the oil is kept, looking back over her shoulder to see if Silarra is following. Gabe gets a smirk and a shake of her head. "You sure you /really/ want to? I mean, the giggling." She shudders at taht, even as she gives in and moves for the oil.
<< I don't know, this food is the best food I've had in my whole life! >> Balyeroth says, and starts an awkward trot toward where the food is. X'en rolls his eyes. "I keep tellin' ya Balyeroth, this is the only food ya had so far!" He says, and follows after the food. << I know, and it's the best. >> The blue replies. X'en sighs. "I think I could feed him rotten meat, and he'd think it was the best he ever had." He remarks toward the other weyrlings, and gets a bowl full of meat, starting to feed the blue.
Taikrin's pace picks up to a trot as Szadath takes off, and then a full sprint, but she's too slow to stop the sudden *thud* as Szadath shoulder-checks into the nearest barrel of cut meat. It leeeeeeeans over then, with a thud, topples onto its side and spills gobs of meat across the floor. "Szadath, no! Bloody shells." The brown twists his head around with an innocent, 'who, me?' look, then proceeds to stuff his face half into the barrel and chow down. "How 'bout that tradin', eh Gabe?" The weariness in Taikrin's mein as she draws to a halt besides the overturned barrel is enough, finally, to elicit a reaction from Szadath. He squeaks, eyes suddenly whirling red-and-white, and nearly climbs on top of Taikrin in his anxiety. << Trade? >>
G'brion starts shoveling food into Pterath's mouth, grinning with amusement at how voraciously she inhales it. "We could - hmmm. Switch off amongst each other every day or two?" he suggests to Taikrin and Silarra. Pterath pauses in her feeding to eye Szadath with a haughty air - she'd roll her eyes, if dragons did that. << It is a joke. That means it is not real. >> The humor part is kind of lost on her, but maybe she'll get there.
Silarra grabs for the oil, starting to slather it on a suddenly blissful green. << Oil is the best thing ever. Even better than yummy meat. >> She informs Balyeroth before she adds. << Silarra would /never/ trade me. I am her bestest friend in the whole world! >> Silarra smirks over to the others. "Until we all went stark raving mad from never being able to get used to what voice or high pitched giggle was torturing our skull at the time?" She is joking though. Liniath seems to ignore that so long as the oiling keeps coming.
X'en smirks. "Ya can borrow Balyeroth some time, Gabe, ya tell stories, and he keeps askin' me fer stories, and I aint got any!" He says, and feeds the blue another slice of meet. Balyeroth happily chews on the meat, and looks toward Liniath. << Oil is wonderful as well! It makes me feel so good all over! >> He sends. << X'en would never trade me either. I wish he would tell me stories though. >>
"No, no, I ain't-- I ain't gonna trade, it was a joke!" Szadath's anxiety must be bleeding into Taikrin, because she's nearly trembling as she kneels beside the brown and wraps her arms around him, heedless of the rather bloody mess most of his head is. "Yer perfect." Szadath does tremble as he climbs onto Taikrin's lap, pushing his red-stained muzzle against the side of her neck. << It's not real and you don't want to trade me for Pterath or Liniath because they play soft like girls? >> Despite the series of deep breaths, Taikrin seems to have trouble reining in the anxiety that's pinging between the two almost like something physical: her voice is nearly breathless, and her grip on the brown tight. "Nobody wants to trade anybody, right Gabe? Xeo?"
"Naw, nobody really wants to trade," Gabe says, tilting his head with sympathy when he sees how anxious Szadath is. "You can tell him I'd kick your ass if you tried to take Pterath. Though," he adds with a smirk, "I wouldn't blame him if he didn't buy that one." Pterath is gobbling her meat too intently to pay much attention to the rest, except that she says << My G'brion is very good at telling stories. I will make him tell another story, after I finish eating >> she offers - so generous. Her rider, blissfully unaware that he's been thus volunteered, is idly scratching his arm as he waits for Pterath to be ready for another mouthful. After he's gotten her fed, he gets to his feet. "I gotta run out for a few," he tells the others. "I'll be back, okay? Five minutes, Pterath. Seriously. I promise." They're still working on the let-G'brion-go-to-the-bathroom-in-peace thing.
"And I wouldn't really trade Liniath for any other dragon." Silarra almost grudgingly admits. "She's my best friend." Though out of her mouth there's not bestest. Not yet at least. The oiling is finished, with a quick pout from Liniath. << Ooh! More story time! I will go wait at my couch to listen. >> And as soon as she's there, the little green is starting to doze off. "You know. I think that's a good sign I can run for a quick bite." Silarra decides, moving out the door before Liniath can stir.
X'en nods. "Aye, nobodys gonna trade any of ya, we're just joking." He says firmly. "Aye, same here, I like this little guy." He remarks, and keeps feeding the blue till the meats gone. <> Balyeroth says to Pterath. << After yours returns, of course. >> He adds, and happy flicks his tongue out to lick at his lips, yes, that was very good. "Ayer, I might try ta sneak away, when this little guy falls back ta sleep." X'en says, and watches the blue wander back to his couch, and climb in. << I will wait in my couch as well! >>